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asainspace's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
One for fans of ‘My Family and Other Animals’
natofthenorth's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
karinlib's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. I read The English Patient many years ago and loved it. I did not love this book. It had some very evocative moments, but overall I was bored.
A friend of mine grew up in then Ceylon and her descriptions of its beauty and ambience, gave me a desire to see this gem of an Island. I had high hopes for this book, but it fell short for me.
Running in the Family is a book of memories of the Ondaatje family, of Michael's Grandparents and Parents. The impression I got from this book was that they were all alcoholics, of their escapades when they were drunk.
A friend of mine grew up in then Ceylon and her descriptions of its beauty and ambience, gave me a desire to see this gem of an Island. I had high hopes for this book, but it fell short for me.
Running in the Family is a book of memories of the Ondaatje family, of Michael's Grandparents and Parents. The impression I got from this book was that they were all alcoholics, of their escapades when they were drunk.
rachelthecrook's review against another edition
2.0
Read for english class. I never could really fall into it.
meliagelinas's review against another edition
3.0
Read for school. It wasn't awwwwwful but it wasn't that appealing to me either.
zippz's review
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
At its core, this is a book about a son learning about his father, recently passed, through second hand accounts. It's rambling and fragmented like a conversation among family, and his descriptions of the world of his family are lush and lifelike.
samyukta_24's review against another edition
5.0
Another rare gem unearthed from my University library. The only reason I sighted it in the first place and decided to try it was due to its gorgeous cover art. And boy, does the cover match the content perfectly.
Running in the Family is an autobiography-ish of Ondaatje’s childhood in Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka, showcased via diary entries, snippets of conversation with relatives, stories, incidents, poems, and anecdotes. This can't even be called a novel, it's more like a fluid river of memories tied together by the most nebulous connections. Underlying the entire narrative is the author’s psychological “dissection” of his eccentric parents, especially his father.
I never expected the book to be this laugh-out-loud funny at times, while equally heartbreaking at other times. The vibes and atmosphere were unmistakably how I remember my childhood in India, albeit not nearly as eventful as the escapades of the Ondaatje household.
There’s no plot, moral, climax, or even a satisfactory ending - yet it contains everything one can possibly need from a good read.
Running in the Family is an autobiography-ish of Ondaatje’s childhood in Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka, showcased via diary entries, snippets of conversation with relatives, stories, incidents, poems, and anecdotes. This can't even be called a novel, it's more like a fluid river of memories tied together by the most nebulous connections. Underlying the entire narrative is the author’s psychological “dissection” of his eccentric parents, especially his father.
I never expected the book to be this laugh-out-loud funny at times, while equally heartbreaking at other times. The vibes and atmosphere were unmistakably how I remember my childhood in India, albeit not nearly as eventful as the escapades of the Ondaatje household.
There’s no plot, moral, climax, or even a satisfactory ending - yet it contains everything one can possibly need from a good read.